SIR process in 22 states, UTs, including Delhi and Maharashtra, to begin from April

NEw new delhi: The Election charge of republic of india (ECI) is go under to carry on a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the national capital territory of Delhi and 21 other states and Union Territories in April, marking the third phase of the controversial exercise that has roiled Parliament and reached the Supreme Court.In a letter on Thursday, ECI told the chief electoral officers (CEOs) of 22 states and Union Territories (UTs) that the next phase of SIR will begin from April 2026, directing them to complete preparatory work at the earliest. “Since, the SIR in the above States/UTs is expected to start from April, 2026, you are requested to complete preparatory work related to SIR, at the earliest,” the letter stated.Other than Delhi, the upcoming phase will cover the UT of Chandigarh, the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, the UT of Ladakh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana and Uttarakhand.This represents a total of approximately 373.9 million voters — roughly 38% of India’s total 977.97 million electorate in the 2024 general elections.“The SIR in the identified States and Union Territories is expected to commence from April 2026. All CEOs are directed to complete the preparatory work at the earliest to ensure the exercise is conducted smoothly.” an ECI official said.Also Read | SIR verification set to begin in Delhi in AprilFour of these states go to the polls in 2027, including Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand. Three of these states go to the polls in 2028, including Karnataka, Meghalaya and Nagaland.The SIR marks the 14th such revision of electoral rolls since Independence, with the last conducted between 2002 and 2004. When announced, this will be the third round of SIR as part of a process that began last summer in Bihar.The controversial exercise was conducted in Bihar beginning June 25, which saw roughly 100,000 booth-level officers fan out across 38 districts and distribute partially pre-filled forms to electors. In all, the number of deletions stood at 6.9 million names and the number of additions stood at 2.15 million. The final roll of 74.2 million people, published on September 30, became a major issue in the assembly elections in Bihar.The deletions in Bihar were among the largest single removal of voters from any state’s electoral rolls in recent memory, a move the poll panel defended as being necessary in the Supreme Court to maintain the sanctity of elections.But the Opposition called SIR an effort to disenfranchise marginalised communities and the exercise turned into a political flashpoint.Then on October 27, 2025, ECI announced SIR in 12 states and UTs, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.Separately, a special revision of rolls – where no documents were verified – was conducted in Assam. But the process has been mired in controversy and delays, with repeated petitions in the Supreme Court and multiple extensions that now threaten to impact the schedule of the upcoming five-state assembly polls.Among the 12 regions where SIR is ongoing, Gujarat, Assam, Puducherry and Lakshadweep – have published their final rolls. Gujarat saw its voter list shrink by around 7.7 million, Assam by 243,000, Puducherry by 16,619, and Lakshadweep by 48.In West Bengal, the draft roll excised 5.8 million and another 11.6 million were flagged under the controversial “logical discrepancy”. ECI has conducted 660,000 hearings and the final rolls are set to be published on February 28.In Tamil Nadu, the draft roll removed 970,000 and another 160,000 were flagged for “logical discrepancy”. The final rolls are set to be published on February 28.In Uttar Pradesh, the draft roll removed 2.89 million and another 2.22 million were flagged for “logical discrepancy”. The final rolls are set to be published on February 28.In Kerala, the draft roll removed 420,000 and another 880,000 were flagged for “logical discrepancy”. The final rolls are set to be published on February 28. In Madhya Pradesh, the draft roll removed 1.12 million and another 1.94 million were flagged for “logical discrepancy”. The final rolls are set to be published on February 28.In Rajasthan, the draft roll removed 1.31 million and another 2.36 million were flagged for “logical discrepancy”. The final rolls are set to be published on February 28.SIR involves door-to-door verification, document scrutiny, and systematic removal of duplicate, deceased or shifted voters under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Preparatory measures include rationalisation of polling stations, updating enumeration blocks and training booth level officers before the formal commencement of revision activities in April.